Finding Camden

Chapter Eleven

After Darrell had said that I was shocked and didn't really know what to say. I felt my cheeks heat and flush. I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. I wasjsut so confused. It was too much to handle at the moment being. I turned and stared out the window. I watched the blurr of the enviorment pass by. The fall colors of leaves and trees blended together. Like a painting that Bob Ross could paint. It was beautiful I zoned outfor a few moments, then drifted away into a deep sleep.

~~~

"Shayla, wake up. Shayyyylaaa. Hellooooo?" I felt shoving unexpectedly on my shoulder and popped up. I felt the grogginess of my body. My head was killing me. I had a headache the size of the Grand Canyon right now.

"Whaaaat?" I said, yawning. I rubbed my eyes and turned over.

"Hey sleepy head, will be a the first pair of apartments in like five minutes. So, if I were you, I'd fix that mane of yours." He said jokingly. I stuck my tongue out in return. I climbed into the back seat at a stoplight and grabbed my hairbrush. I then popped a few mints into my mouth trying to get the dryness away. When I got back in the front, I checked myself in the mirror and was satisfied.

"So basically, we are just going door to door?" I asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

He pulled into a parking lot. We looked for a few moments. It was a single three story building made out of brick. It looked relatively old. Not many cars were here. If anyone lived here, I guess it would be old couples. Maybe with a few hundred cats. I put a flier in my back pocket to show people.

"Well, here we go." I said. I opened he door. It was misty outside. The pavement was wet and so was the grass. It was gloomy outside. The clouds hung over as a blanket that stretched for infinity miles. They were dark and rotund. I met around the front of the car with Darrell as we strolled onto the sidewalk. We started at the lower levels. Starting at apartment one. I walked over and rapped on the door. No one answered. I tried a second time, no one came to greet us. What if Camden is in an apartment that no one answers? What if he was out partying or something? I thought

We walked to the next one. No one opened. We went to the next one, no one opened. On our fourth try someone opened the door. It was a younger lady. Maybe in her thirties. She was blond, and really pretty.

"Uh, hi. I was going to ask if you've seen this guy?" I pulled the flier out of my back pocket and showed her.

"I have not. I'm really sorry. Is he missing?" She questioned.

"Yes, well, no. We're just looking for him. He's my brother. It's a long story." I told a white lie.

We walked all around the base of the apartments. Going from door to door, room to room. We then traversed up the stairs To the second floor. No one was opening there either. I pondered about where most of these people were. We got to apartment 21, on the third floor. An old lady with haphazard magazines strewn across her room answered. She said she hadn't seen him. We walked over to 22 and someone answered. This time, a guy maybe 21 years-old answered.

"Hey," He said smiling. His eyes scanned up and down my body. Especially at my boobs, which made it all awkward.

"Yeah. Hi. Have you seen this guy?" Darrell spoke this time, stepping in front of me.

"I might have." He said stepping over to look at me.

"Can you tell us?" I said.

"What's in it for me?" He looked over Darrell's shoulder and smiled

"I don't know just tell us, dude."

"I want her." Darrell's jaw clenched. I figured that this guy most likely had not seen Camden.

"Come one Darrell." I said we walked over to his neighbors. I didn't hear his door shut. The guy whistled. Darrell walked back towards him. Stared at him.

"What are gonna do? Hit me in front of your girlfriend?"

"I might," Darrell hit him squarley in the face and left the guy clutching his jaw. He eventually got up and went back inside.

"What's up with these pervy guys in Florida?" I asked.

"I don't know. But it's making me very cautious. I'm going to protect you even more." With that, He grabbed my waist and pulled me close. No one in theses apartments had seen or heard of Camden.

~~~

We arrived at the next group of apartments were much bigger than the other one's had been. We did the same method, starting at the bottom and working our way to the top. Darrell had me pulled close next to him. Closer each time a guy had answered. On the 3rd floor, of the first building, someone had answered. Apartment 34.

"Have you seen him?" I asked. A young lady answered. Maybe our age. Long, black, sleek hair with bright blue eyes. She was wearing tight leggings that had a design, combat boots, and a red sweater that said Pierce the Veil on it. On her wrist was a strange, but beautiful tattoo. It was an anchor wrapped around in a thick rope. In cursive, it said refuse to sink.

"Yeah, I think so. I've seen him at a few parties. Camer-Cam..Camden!" She exclaimed. Ignoring that his name was in big black bold letters on the front.

"You have seen him before?!" I exclaimed back.

"Yep. He's pretty hot."

"When did you see him?" Darrell asked.

"Ah. I dunno, maybe last Saturday? Yeah." She said.

"Does he live with anyone you know?"

"Nah, but he hangs out with my friend Jake a bit. He lives in 72, the third section. You could ask him." I had butterflies swim in my stomach creating knots.

I galloped down the stairs, two at a time. I was filled with hope and excitement. I would hopefully, finally see Camden! I was so joyous. We walked down the cracked sidewalk to the third section. We climbed up the black metal stairs. I found seventy two and knocked on the door a few times. I looked over at Darrell and smiled. He exchanged a smile back. The door opened. The first thing I smelled was rapid smoke. I look up, stunned.

"Have you-Oh my God!" I jumped. It was him. I tried to hug him. He pushed me back, Darrell caught me before I tumbled down the stairs. I was shocked.

"You told her didn't you?! You Liar!" Camden shouted. "You told her! You helped her asshole!"

"No, I didn't! I-" Camden tackled Darrell. I stood there while he punched him and punched him. H punched his nose, his jaw, his stomach, his ribs.

"Get off Cam! Get off!" I shoved him of of Darrell. He toppled over to the second step. But he regained himself quickly. He slapped me. I clutched my face. Pain splashing through my skull. I kicked his ankle and helped Darrell to his feet. He leaned on me and helped him down the stairs down to the car. It was raining now. Thundering, rattling my body. My heart was pounding, I was in complete disbelief.

We made it into the car. We sat shivering. I blasted the heat. The mirrors fogged up within moments. I wiped them off. I was sick of the cloudy and fogginess of everything. We sat in silence. I looked over at him. A wiped his lip that oozed a little blood. His eye was bruising already. I kissed him. I grabbed his jaw. Ran my fingers up and down his jawline. I kissed him lightly.

"He hit you.." Darrell said weakly.

"I know. He didn't mean it. He's always had anger issues. It's okay."

"Not really."

"What did he mean that you told me? That you lied?"
"Nothing..."
"Tell me."

"Shayla, I knew where he was the entire time."